Origins
by Dalsai
Summary: Every story, every destiny, every quest, every purpose. Everything has to have a starting point.
1. The Deadly Rose

The arena filled with the cheers of the bloodthirsty crowd. The lumbering beast stood in front of the slender man. He held a slender sword to his side. The jet black fur of the beast was stained with the blood that spilled from the wounds on its back. The spears that stuck in its back displayed flamboyant colors. The beast stood still in front of the man who wore a showy sequined suit. The beast made its final charge towards the man, who gracefully leapt over the bull and left his sword in its back. The bull fell over its front two legs and slid in the dust that covered the bottom of the arena. The man took a dagger from his side and cut the ear off of the bull. Without waiting for his name to be called, he walked out of the arena. The bull fight no longer interested him. He had become too good.  
  
He found little exciting anymore. That is why he jumped at the invitation. He had been invited because he was the best. His talent and potential had been recognized. The invitation was marked with a silver skull. It had wings coming from either side. A month later, he had been given his first mission.  
  
"Vega, I have a special assignment for you."   
  
These were the words he had become accustomed to. He was never sent on a boring task. His jobs were always special. Bison wouldn't waste him on mundane tasks. But this mission was different. It wasn't a simple assassination like he had become used to.  
  
"Kill the Russian, Ivanov. He's a journalist who has been looking where he shouldn't have been."  
  
"Simple enough."  
  
"He has fled to London. Our operants have located his hotel. He is heavily guarded. He is traveling with his wife and two young girls, ages 8 and 5. I want the girls alive."  
  
"What for?"  
  
"That is not your concern. Do whatever you must, but I want them alive."  
  
Thus began the mission that sent the string of events into motion. Vega set off for London on the next available plane, and arrived the next day. It was later that night when he surveyed the site from several buildings away. Ivanov's appearance in London was to be kept as quiet as possible. He was staying in a hotel like an ordinary tourist. He walked into the hotel unopposed and entered the elevator. He took the elevator up to the floor above where Ivanov was staying. He walked down the hall and counted the doors. When he reached the one he was searching for, he gently tapped his hand on it.   
  
A loud female voice came from inside. "Who's it?"  
  
Vega sighed to himself. "Masseuse."  
  
The woman paused for a moment. Then, her raunchy voice shattered the silence. "I didn't order a massage."  
  
Vega shuddered at the thought. "Compliments of the hotel, madam."  
  
She slowly opened the door to see his face. She smiled as she looked him over. As she opened the door completely, Vega got her first look at her. She was a large woman, a very large woman. She had curlers in her hair and a fat, circular face. She wore a gaudy, blue bed-gown. Vega hesitantly walked through the door.   
  
The woman was alone. She walked into the bathroom and closed the door. "I really didn't this. I was just about to head to bed."  
  
Vega cringed at the thought of what he may see when the woman came out. She was quite possible one of the ugliest people he had seen. He reached for his mask and claw and put them on. She was a liability. She had seen his face. When she walked out of the bathroom she couldn't see him.   
  
She looked around the room. "Hello? Are you here?"  
  
He leapt off the wall behind her and put his claw to her throat. His hand was over her face to muffle her screams. The woman fell to the ground. Vega bolted the door to prevent people from entering. He walked to the window to make sure he was under the right one. He leapt out and hung onto the ledge. He let go and landed on the ledge below him. His claw shattered the window and Vega leapt in. Two armed sentries pulled out their guns. Vega rushed forward and stabbed through the first sentry. The other sentry fired, but Vega had already leapt over him. His arms clasped around him and he flung the sentry backwards. As the guard's head hit the ground, Vega's claw penetrated his chest. He looked up to see two people, a man and a woman, running for the door. He dashed and leapt in front of them. He claw slashed the woman's neck. The man began to back up.  
  
He spoke with a heavy Russian accent. "You, you, who are you?"  
  
Vega stepped forward. "No need to concern yourself, Ivanov. I'll rid the world of your ugliness."  
  
Before he could scream, Vega had slain him. He could hear several screams from behind the door. The door had been barricaded, but Vega knew it would not last. He walked into the bedroom. There were two huddled masses underneath the covers of two separate beds. He walked to the first one and pulled off the covers. There was a little girl shivering underneath it. She had blonde hair and a round face. She was shaking with terror. She was wearing a blue cotton gown.  
  
Vega looked the girl over. "If you scream, I'll cut your throat. Stay quiet and you'll be safe."  
  
The girl nodded her head hesitantly. She was crying. Vega grabbed her and lifted her in her arms. Vega walked to the other bed and threw off the covers. The girl in this one was younger, but she looked like the other one. Despite his warnings, this girl was still sobbing loudly. Vega struck the girl in the head, knocking her out. He other girl screamed, Vega flung her to the ground and struck her also. He picked up the two unconscious girls and leapt out of the room just as the door was broken down.   
  
Vega learned shortly why Bison wanted the two girls. He was sent on many missions to retrieve others, along with the ogre Bison called Sagat. This was the start of the dolls. 


	2. The World Warrior

Note: Just to get this out of the way, I do not own any of these characters or Street Fighter.  
  
** *   
  
The wooden floor of the dojo creaked when he walked on it. It was a very old building up in the mountains of Japan. It was quiet tonight. The sound of his geta hitting to floor echoed throughout the rest of the building. The moon shone through the opening that let to the edge of the mountain.   
  
"You are restless tonight."  
  
He turned around. "Sensei Gouken! I apologize, I didn't mean to awake you."  
  
Gouken shook his head. "You didn't wake me, Ryu. I have just finished meditating and am going to rest. What are you doing up?"  
  
Ryu sat down and crossed his legs. I'm worried sensei.  
  
Gouken nodded his head. "About what, my son?"  
  
Ryu looked away. "About your duel with your brother. About how he said that your mercy would be the end of you."  
  
Gouken nodded again. "Do not fret, my son. Shotokan is not a style of violence. It is a style of peace. Akuma is full of hate. His rage consumes him. As long as he does, he cannot defeat me. He will see the errors of his ways."  
  
Ryu stood up. "But what if he doesn't?"  
  
Gouken smiled softly. "He will realize that rage isn't the best option. Such is the nature of Shotokan. Now, rest, my son. You will have a new sparring partner coming in tomorrow. He should hopefully last longer then the last one.  
  
Ryu reluctantly agreed and went to back to rest. He was excited at the concept of a new partner. He had several others in the past, but most of them left after a few months. The fight between his master and Akuma still worried him. But his master was calmed. That fact soothed him. Master Gouken certainly knew more then he did about his brother.  
  
The morning came with no other problems. Ryu was up with the sun; Gouken had made some tea for him. Ryu drank it as he read the note Gouken had left saying that he had left for town to get the new student. After Ryu finished his tea, he left to the mountains to meditate. By the time he had returned, there was still no sign of his master. His master had not returned by that night, and Ryu began to get worried. It wasn't until dawn that Ryu saw his master returning with another small boy. He wanted to go out to see his new partner, but decided to stay in to show his patience. His master soon appeared in the doorway.  
  
His master spoke calmly, like he had always done. "Ryu, my son. Your new partner is here."  
  
Ryu stood up and looked at the other boy. He was about the same age as Ryu, but he was much paler. He had blond hair and thick black eyebrows. He looked at Ryu with tired eyes.  
  
Gouken looked down at the kid then at Ryu. "Ryu, this is Ken Masters. He comes from America. His plane just arrived last night."   
  
Ryu nodded. "You are probably tired from your trip."  
  
Ken nodded and walked past Ryu without saying a word. He dropped his suitcase and went to sleep on Ryu's cot.  
  
Gouken walked up behind Ryu. "Do not worry. He is just tired. It is late in American now. He needs some time to adjust. You'll begin your training within the week."  
  
Ryu wasn't worried. Ken seemed disciplined. He had only seen him for a few minutes, but Ken seemed to be quite mature for his age. Ryu was looking forward to seeing Ken in action.   
  
** *   
  
Ryu was getting annoyed. "Would you wake up already? It's past 8!"  
  
It had been several years since Ken came to the dojo. Ryu was pacing in front of his cot. Ken responded sleepily. "Come on man, we've got all day."  
  
Ryu scowled. "I cannot believe that master would accept a student so lazy. What did you have to do to be sent here?"  
  
Ken sat up almost immediately. "Listen, I didn't ask to be sent here."  
  
Ryu snapped back. "Sorry my way of life isn't good enough for you, spoiled brat."  
  
Ken got to his feet. "Don't you judge me."  
  
Ryu stepped toward him. "Prove me wrong, rich boy."  
  
Ken lunged at Ryu, who sidestepped and slammed his elbow into Ken's back. Ken hit the ground and swept his foot at Ryu's legs. Ryu leapt over Ken and jumped a short ways back. Ken lunged forward again and speared Ryu into the wall. Ryu tried to lift him, but Ken reversed it and threw Ryu over his back. Ryu landed on his back, sliding a few feet. Ryu was slow getting up.   
  
"Had enough?" Ken taunted.  
  
Ryu slowly made it to his feet and stared at Ken. Something was building up inside him. He put his hands together behind him and started shaking. Ken cocked an eyebrow at Ryu.  
  
Like water in high tide, Ryu's voice slowly began to rise. An eerie glow was emitted from his hands. "Hadouken!" Ryu thrust his arms forward, launching a blue ball of light towards the wide-eyed Ken. Ken dove out of the way as the fireball struck the wall behind him, leaving charred wooden planks where the collision hit. Both Ryu and Ken stared at the wall.  
  
Ken slowly rose to his feet. "Ry, Ryu?"  
  
Ryu gulped. "Yeah, Ken?"  
  
Ken swallowed. "What was that?"  
  
Ryu shook his head. "I don't know."  
  
"Ryu has learned to control his ki."   
  
Both Ryu and Ken turned to see Gouken behind them. Ryu fell to his knees. "Sensei! I apologize. I have damaged our dojo."  
  
Gouken smiled. "Sometimes, the lessons are worth the damages. Besides, you did no actual damage. You wasted much energy in the process. What's important is that you learn."  
  
Ken stepped forward. "Master Gouken! Teach me to control my ki!"  
  
Gouken shook his head. "I cannot do this. You much learn to control it for yourself, my son. There are many great warriors who cannot control their ki, Ryu. Do not get overconfident. You ability to control your ki is only as strong as you are. Use it wisely.  
  
Ryu nodded. In time, Ken would learn to control his ki in other ways. It would be a long, hard process, but this was the beginning of the journey for the world warriors. 


	3. The Inner Beast

The Inner Beast  
  
His life was far from spectacular. Most of his own life remained but an afterthought for him. He was a visionary. He was a master.  
  
The parade route went right by the flat that his family lived in. He was just a child at the time, but even he knew what the parade was. The street would be lined with thousands of citizens hoping to catch a glimpse at the various military technologies his country had to display. His parents had left to join the mass, but he was forced to watch from the tiny window in the flat with his younger sister. As the giant missiles and rocket launchers slowly made their way down the street with the entire soldier escort that accompanied them. He held his sister on his soldiers to watch them go by. They all fascinated him. His sister even managed to spot their parents in the massive crowd. It seemed to be a joyous occasion. Everyone was affected by the great world war. These parades happened quite often, but they always drove morality up. It always made everyone so happy. Or, rather, the parade usually made people happy.  
  
No one knows what caused it, but the newspaper said it was a plot by the enemy. Whether that was true or it was just a mechanical function, the young boy never discovered. All he remembered was the explosion. One of the giant missiles went off. It could have been a bullet fired by a sniper. It could have been the timing mechanism that malfunctioned. Either way, the giant missile exploded directly in front of his flat. He could feel the ground give beneath him. His sister fell from his shoulders. When the carnage had ended, his was only one of several buildings that had fallen. He didn't remember it. He only felt the soldiers pulling him out from the debris. He had tubes hooked through his nose and bandages applied all over his body. He could see them pulling his sister from the rubble, but she didn't move.   
  
The soldier, who pulled her out put his fingers on her neck, then walked over to the soldier standing above him. "Another dead. It's not promising. Only four survivors so far."  
  
The other soldier nodded. "There still may be others alive. We can't abandon hope yet." The soldier removed the boy's shirt to bandage him. Instead, he picked up something around his neck. "A locket?" The soldier looked back at the boy. "Must be your good luck charm."  
  
The boy was rushed off to the hospital, then, afterwards, to a large bunker. Anyone who managed to survive the attack was sent there. They had been drafted. He never saw his parents, his sister, or his neighbors again.  
  
***  
  
"Kid, get over here! Help us on the flank!"  
  
It was just like any normal border skirmish. It was completely routine. The boy had a hard time adapting to soldier life. The blast had a major toll on his training. It wasn't long before he was sent away, ignored for any special training. They had fought these skirmishes many times. They weren't really anything to be worried about anymore. Protocol missions to say the least.  
  
"Right, Captain." The kid ran towards his captain and slid through the dirt, taking site on the enemy soldiers. The soldier had his eyes set on the foxholes in front of him when several small explosions took out a trench behind him.   
  
His captain spun around. "What the hell? How did they get behind us?"  
  
Before he could finish his sentence, a bullet caught him in his cheek. The boy whirled around and fired on the shooter, managing to catch him in his chest. An explosion ripped through his trench eliminating half of his unit. The boy leapt out of the trench and covered his head just in time to see the rest of his trench go up in flames. He was frozen with fear for what could happen. He must have been lying there for at least half an hour. Several guys walked over to him.  
  
They pointed their guns to his head. "Get up, maggot!"  
  
The boy rose to his feet slowly. Another soldier screamed at him. "Drop your gun and put your hands behind your head!"  
  
He dropped his gun and the soldiers in front of him dove out of the way. The one behind him slammed his gun into the boy's back. "Are you trying to be cute, boy?"  
  
One of the soldiers stood up. "This kid is either nuts or extremely stupid."  
  
The soldier behind him responded. "I'd say stupid."  
  
The soldier behind him chuckled. "Seems right. Let's get him back."  
  
One of the soldiers spotted something around his neck. "What's this?" He snatched the gold locket from the boy's necklace.  
  
The soldiers turned away from the border. It was towards his home. They weren't enemy soldiers.  
  
***  
  
How long had he been there? He had lost all track of time. He had been prodded, poked, and tortured every day. They kept asking him for information he didn't know. In between tortures he managed to find out a little bit of information about his captors. They were terrorists. They wanted to end the war. They wanted independence. Of course, this was what he could piece together from their conversations.   
  
The door opened and the soldiers entered. "Have you decided to talk yet, worm?"  
  
The boy sighed. "I told you, I don't know anything."  
  
The soldier shook his head. "I was hoping you had come to your senses." He removed the boy's locket from his front pocket.   
  
The boy stared at it with wide eyes. He shook his head at the soldier. "Please, don't. It's all I have left."  
  
The soldier nodded. "I know. We know what happened to your family."  
  
The boy tried to lunge forward. "What! How do you know what happened?"   
  
The soldier with the locket looked at the soldier. "You're right, he doesn't know anything."  
  
He dropped the locket on the ground and crushed it under his foot. The other soldier began to laugh. "Figure it out, worm."  
  
The boy stared at his crushed locket. Everything suddenly seemed useless. He forced himself from crying. He had nothing left. Like a train, it hit him. His sorrow turned to anger. He began to scream a fierce, tribal cry. The soldiers turned to face him. Something was happening.  
  
The soldier who had crushed the locket took a step back. "What the hell. His hands... They're... They're glowing!"  
  
He ripped through chains holding him. "You..."  
  
The soldiers backed up against the wall. "What the..."  
  
The boy formed a ball of energy and hurled it towards the soldiers. They were engulfed in the blast. He stomped towards the door and knocked it to the ground. The hallway was clear. He walked to the end and saw a door with two armed guards.   
  
They stared at him for a moment. "The prisoner? How did you escape?"  
  
The boy formed another ball of energy in his hand and hurled it at the door. The soldiers dove out of the way. The resulting explosion sent them down the hall. The thick metal door fell to the ground. The boy walked in to find a man staring at him from behind a desk. "Who are you?"  
  
The boy snarled. "Why did you blow the missiles during the parade?"  
  
The man stood up. "I don't know what you are talking about."  
  
The boy knocked the desk out of the way. He grabbed the man's shirt and threw him against the wall. "Liar! I'll ask you again, why did you blow that missile?"  
  
The man slowly made his way to his feet. "I'll tell you again, I don't know what you are talking about."  
  
The boy lifted him by his lapel. His hands began to emit an eerie glow. The man began to shake. "We, we had to. No progress can be made without blood being shed."  
  
The boy's flames began to increase in size. "Killing innocent people makes progress! Wrong answer!"  
  
The man quivered at the rage in the boy's eyes. "Please. You must understand. What we do, we do for the people."  
  
The boy began to push the man's chest. "You kill the people who supposedly fight for! My sister was six years old. What did she do to deserve being slaughtered?"  
  
The man relieved himself. "Please. You must understand. We had to do it."  
  
The boy cut the man off. "Too late." Flames engulfed the man. The boy threw him through the table.   
  
The two guards managed to make to their feet to see all this. "He, he killed the general!"  
  
The boy walked right past them, but one of the guards spoke up. "Wait."  
  
The boy stopped and turned his head. "Do you want to die too?"  
  
The soldier leaned against the wall. "I'm... I'm sorry about your loss."  
  
The boy turned around. "What do you know?"  
  
The soldier breathed deeply. "I know what it's like to lose those that I care about."  
  
The boy stopped. "What do you mean?"  
  
The soldier stepped forward. "I lived in a city not far from here. I lost my family in the war also. What we want is peace."  
  
"Peace? Peace for the people you slaughter?"  
  
"Peace so that others may not die needlessly because someone isn't rich enough. Peace so that no ten year old boy will ever see his parents shot for standing up to a soldier. I cannot justify the deaths of those who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I can say that more would die if we do nothing."  
  
The boy shook his head. "Why are you telling me this?"  
  
The soldier smiled. "You have what we need."  
  
The other soldier looked at him. "Are you crazy? This guy just fried our leader."  
  
"He has power. Out old leader didn't have that. We need someone who is willing to fight along side us." He turned his attention to the boy. "You are unique. You have power we have never seen. You must realize, had our country not entered this pointless war, our families may still be alive."  
  
The boy closed his eyes and fell to his knees. What the soldier said made sense to him. As far as he was concerned, they had him.   
  
***  
  
He stared at a piece of paper when a soldier walked in. "Commander. We have our soldiers in position. What are our orders?"  
  
The commander looked up. "Cancel the attack, it won't be successful."  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Tell me. What good would an attack do if the US or USSR would invade us the moment we become independent?"  
  
"I, I don't know sir."  
  
"It wouldn't do us any. As long as these nations exist, there can be no peace. What we need is increase our network."  
  
"Sir, how can we do that?"  
  
"We must unify all of our connections under one symbol. We must get more powerful allies."  
  
"I understand General."  
  
"If we are to be unified, there will need to be someone at the head."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Gather all of our troops. Get all of our connections together. I want to address everyone at once."  
  
"Yes sir, General Bison."  
  
Bison smiled. He was soon to become one of the most powerful men in the world. He was no longer the boy who watched the giant missiles in a parade. He was in control. 


	4. The Doll House

How long had she been there? She had lost all track of time. She honestly couldn't remember any time when she had not been there. Her earliest memory was waking up in a small bed with a throbbing headache. From then on, everything she knew had been told to her. This process of learning by taking orders. It was second nature to her. There used to be around seventy other girls with them at first. Many of them died before the first boot camp ended. Some died between then. The rest died when he showed up.  
  
He was ss, caring only about harming them. She could remember the joy when one of the soldiers informed them that he would not be coming back. He said that they would have a new trainer coming in a few days, and that they should take the short break to get ready for it.  
  
They awaited the day he was supposed to arrive. Their last trainer enjoyed torturing them by waking them up early, then forcing them to wait until he arrived. They expected this trainer to be the same. There were about twenty of them left. They all lined up in formation in the courtyard at the crack of dawn. It was around noon that they saw him walking up from the distance.  
  
He looked differently then the other one. He was much better looking then the other master. Several of the girls began talking among themselves, something that was completely uncharacteristic. But it wasn't their new trainer that they were talking about.  
  
They stopped when he was close enough. The two of them gave the group a good stare. For most of them, this was the first time they ever saw Master Bison in person.   
  
The trainer turned to Bison. "Is this the best that the dog could do?"  
  
Bison responded dryly. "He removed around thirty by himself. I would have left him to finish the job, but I thought it best that they learn to fight other styles. You can only learn so much from a boxer."  
  
The trainer nodded. "Very well, I'll finish his job, although I still don't understand why you would waste your time with these dolls."  
  
Bison turned. "From now own, their success is in your hands. Do not fail me, Vega."  
  
As Bison walked away, Vega looked over the group one last time. He paced before them for a few minutes. He turned his back and walked into the courtyard. "This is truly pathetic." He turned and pointed to a girl at the end. "What do they call you?"  
  
The girl hesitated for a moment then stepped forward. "Agent Juli, sir."  
  
He yelled to her. "Step forward."  
  
Juli stepped forward into the courtyard.  
  
Vega stared at her for a moment. "Ready yourself."  
  
Juli stepped back into a fighting stance. Without warning Vega swung his foot low, knocking the girl off of her feet. Vega slammed his heel into her stomach as she fell. She slid across the courtyard. Vega leapt through the air and threw his fist into her stomach. Juli screamed in pain.  
  
Vega stood up over her. "Why didn't you block my attack?"  
  
Juli struggled to turn over. "I... it's that..."  
  
Vega yelled over her. "What is it, wench? Answer!"  
  
Juli got onto her knees. "Our old trainer never kicked low. He... he never kicked us at all."  
  
Vega slammed his foot into her side. "I am not your old trainer." He left Juli writhing on the side and skimmed the group of girls, who were cowering back. He pointed to a girl at the end, who hesitantly stepped forward. "What is your name?"  
  
The girl swallowed. "Agent Killer Bee, sir."  
  
He stared at her for a moment. Something about her caught his eye. He smiled. "Oh yes, now I remember you."  
  
She was a bit taken aback. She had never seen him before. one of the three. He was brought in to weed them out, to train them. He was ruthless to Juni.  
  
Vega stepped back. "Ready yourself."  
  
Cammy slowly stepped back. She had to be ready for anything. Balrog had taught then how to defend against punches, but compared to Vega, Balrog was as fast as a pregnant sea-lion.  
  
Vega swung his leg low as if to attack. Cammy blocked low, but Vega pulled his attack back, instead throwing it high. Cammy could hardly bring up her arms to block the attack in time. Vega threw a barrage of punches at Cammy, who managed to block them. Vega slid towards her. Cammy hopped over his foot. Vega quickly rose to his feet and punched at her face. She blocked and grabbed his arm.  
  
Vega smiled. "Impressive. I didn't expect you to block." Cammy was breathing heavily. "But you aren't quite there yet."   
  
Vega threw his feet over his back. His torso slammed into her chest, knocking her back. Vega landed on one knee and struck her face with his fist. Cammy fell backwards to the ground. Vega stood and walked over her.  
  
"Still, you make too easy of a target."   
  
He was about to turn when her powerful legs clenched around her neck. She flipped him over onto his back. She smiled at him while she sat on his chest  
  
"So do you."  
  
Vega slowly began to laugh. "You truly are beautiful. Perfect for this world."  
  
Cammy frowned. She brought her palm against her face, stood up, and began to walk away.   
  
Vega slowly stood up and put his hand to your face. He scowled at her. "How dare you?"  
  
She slowly began to turn.   
  
She could see some sort of fire in his eyes. "How dare you touch my face?!"  
  
She took a step back. He put his hand behind his back. When it emerged, a claw was attached to it. He put a mask over his face and rushed towards Cammy. His claw slid across her cheek. She fell to the ground and grabbed her face.   
  
Vega put his claw to her neck. "Never, ever, touch my face."  
  
That was only her first practice session. Three girls died while Vega was their trainer. Vega's cut never completely healed. It was only the first scar that Cammy would get through her training. Vega eventually finished his service. He was replaced by a giant named Sagat. It was Sagat who would finish the job. After Sagat's training they began their missions. There were only thirteen left by that time. They still only rarely saw Master Bison or any of the 'big three' in person after training. They were often sent on reconnaissance missions, or other mundane tasks. But either way, the missions were better then the training. All thirteen of them realized this. They were all loyal to the cause. 


	5. The Strongest Style

"Papa, papa, can I go watch you today?"  
  
The boy jumped around his father. It was all the father could do from lifting the boy into his arms. "Sure, my son." In the past, he never let his son come to watch him. But this was the big tournament. A worldwide tournament. "Today, you will see the greatest martial artists in the world."  
  
The boy was never really serious about the martial arts. Well, he was never serious about practicing them for himself. He enjoyed watching his father work around the dojo, but he always had his mind elsewhere. His father never thought him to be serious enough, so he never let him watch the fighting. But today was different. Perhaps witnessing a tournament of this magnitude would peak the boy's interest.   
  
This was to be the case. The boy stared wide-eyed when it was his father's first match. The opponent was some no name martial artist. He rushed at the boy's father at the start of the match. The man threw his opponent over his shoulder. The opponent was slow getting up, leaving the man enough time to taunt his opponent. The taunt drew cheers from the crowd, and captivated the boy. The opponent made his way to his feet and rushed at the man. He was met by the man's knee, which struck his stomach. A foot swept across his face, then an elbow struck his jaw. The man fell to the ground. He would not get up.  
  
"The winner: Go Hibiki!"  
  
Go raised his hand up into the air and smiled to his son. His son was jumping in the air and cheering.  
  
The tournament continued like this for several rounds. The man continued to put on a show for his son. He knew it would get him interested. He knew his son well.  
  
It was the final match of the tournament. It was some guy who called himself Janx. Janx was a loudmouth and a taunter. Before the match started, Janx taunted Go heavily. Go just stood there and scowled.  
  
When the match started, Janx ran straight at Go. Go's hands began to glow. Janx was just a few feet away. Go thrust his hands forward. The ball of energy engulfed Janx's head. He flew back several feet and slid several more feet. Janx wouldn't get up.  
  
"The winner, Go Hibiki!"  
  
He ran down the hall searching for him. He couldn't believe what happened. He just stood there while it happened. He had been humiliated and berated. Everything right in front of his son. He wouldn't stand for it. He didn't even search for his son. He just chased after the man.  
  
The emperor of Muay Thai. He found him inside the parking lot.   
  
"Sagat!"  
  
Sagat turned around. "Mr. Hibiki... I'm rather surprised to see you."  
  
Go threw his hand to the side. "How dare you insult me in front of my son?"  
  
Sagat chuckled as he turned around. "You shouldn't be so angry. Everything I said was true."  
  
Go stepped forward. "What? How dare you call me an amateur!"  
  
"You won a tournament full of weak martial artists. Surely you don't think you compete with the... higher caliber martial artists."  
  
Go scowled. "If the competition today was so weak, why didn't you enter the tournament?"  
  
Sagat began to laugh. "Don't be ridiculous. These here... weren't even worth my breath."  
  
Go began to walk forward. "I think you'll find that I am not like the others here."  
  
Sagat turned around and began to walk away. "Don't waste your time, Hibiki. Perhaps in a few years, but not now."  
  
The door behind him flew open. "Papa!?"  
  
Hibiki turned his head to see his son. "Stay out of this, Dan."   
  
Hibiki put his hands together and concentrated. He yelled as he thrust his arms forward. The ball of energy shot from his palms toward Sagat. Sagat turned in time to block the shot.   
  
Sagat stared at Hibiki. "You just signed your death certificate."  
  
Hibiki screamed at Sagat. "Bring it!"  
  
Sagat brought his fists together, firing a blast of energy toward Hibiki. Hibiki waited for a moment, then rolled under the blast. He quickly returned to his feet and leapt at Sagat as Sagat's shot struck the wall behind him, cracking it. Sagat's foot smashed into his chest, causing him to fall to the ground. Sagat slammed his foot into Hibiki's chest causing to Hibiki roll along the ground.  
  
"Papa!" Dan screamed as he ran towards his father.   
  
"Stay back, Dan!" Hibiki screamed as he made his way to his feet. He staggered up and turned to face Sagat.  
  
Sagat smiled. "Aren't you resilient?"  
  
Hibiki smiled as he wiped the blood that began to trickle from his cheek. "It will take a lot more then that to defeat me."  
  
Sagat nodded. "You're more impressive then I originally thought. But you waste too much energy when you fire your blasts."  
  
Hibiki scowled. "I'm not here for a lesson."  
  
Sagat laughed. "Surrender now and I'll let you live."  
  
Hibiki scowled. "I will not have you insult my ability like this!"  
  
Hibiki rushed forward. Sagat waited before him to get close. He threw his leg low, but Hibiki leapt over it, striking Sagat in the forehead with his knee. Sagat flew backwards, sliding along the pavement. Go jumped forward, slamming his fist into the pavement. Sagat jumped backwards just in time to dodge the attack. He brought his fists together, throwing a ball of energy into Hibiki's face.   
  
Hibiki flew backwards, skidding on the pavement. Dan ran forward, but Hibiki held up his hand. Hibiki staggered to his feet. His face was covered with blood and he could hardly stand. He turned to face Sagat again.   
  
"Give it up, Hibiki. You can't win."  
  
Hibiki began to walk forward. "I won't give up."  
  
"Such an idealist." Sagat began to walk forward toward him. Hibiki stopped and put his hands together. Sagat began to laugh. "Not this again."  
  
Hibiki's hands began to glow. He was nearly out of energy, but he couldn't stop. He had to fight forward.   
  
The blast was like none he had fired before. It shot past Sagat's defenses. Sagat fell to the ground, clutching his face. Hibiki was breathing heavily.  
  
"I'd rather die then give up."  
  
Sagat clutched his eye. Blood flowed from the whole. "What... What have you done?"  
  
"I've won."  
  
Sagat staggered to his feet. He screamed as he ran towards Hibiki. Hibiki tried to throw a punch, but Sagat threw his fist to the side. He grabbed Hibiki by the neck.  
  
Dan watched as the mammoth crushed his father. He lost something that day. He couldn't explain it. It wasn't just his father. He had lost his innocence that day also. He became obsessed. He would not let the man who did this go. He would develop a style strong enough to defeat him. He would develop the strongest style. 


	6. The Jungle Book

He lifted his nose and sniffed the air. The pungent aroma of the rainforest surrounded him. It seemed different to him. He didn't know where he had come from. He just assumed he had grown up in the jungle. He never really understood that he was the only one of his kind there. In fact, the idea that he had ever been anything even remotely like him could exist. That is, until that day.  
  
The forest was restless that day. He could smell it in the air. He could hear it in the birds squawked. He could see it in the fish. He could even taste it in his morning fruit. Something had changed during the night.   
  
He sniffed the air again. 'Oooh-oohwaah. Graah-ooh. Aoohw. Ooo-whaah.' (Something smells wrong. I should check this out). He headed upwind to see what was wrong.  
  
"What are we patrolling for? We have those Interpol agents."  
  
"What the boss says, goes. And frankly, I'd rather be doing this then base duty." The soldier lifted his rifle to his shoulder and aimed into the tree. Birds scattered through the air and a small body dropped to the ground. The soldier walked over and picked up the small creature. "You know, we could make a fortune in furs."  
  
The other soldier laughed. "I don't think the boss would like you wasting ammo like this."  
  
"So? Tell him a leopard charged us or something."  
  
The other soldier heard the growl before he could respond. It was a growing growl that seemed to surround them.  
  
"What'd you do? Kill the baby?"  
  
"I... I don't know!"  
  
A tree shook behind them and the soldiers fired into the air. Birds flew into the air, as another tree shook closer to them. They fired their guns again. Shrill cries pierced the air between shots. Trees shook all around them, but they could do nothing. Massive arms grabbed one of the soldiers and pulled him into the trees. The other soldier fired wildly into the air. A massive green arm knocked the gun from his hand. A horrifying beast fell down to him. It's massive jaws clamped on his head, silencing him.  
  
"Ooh-aah whaaoooo oohowaah hoowhaaooow graahaah." (What strange beast is this, none of these have ever appeared here before). He examined the contraption that the soldiers had used to make loud noises. He had never seen anything like it before.  
  
"Owaah ooah-whoa aahawah hooah grakaww." (I'll find where these monsters came from and rid my home of them).  
  
"Tell me lieutenant, did you honestly think you could get into my base without my knowing?"  
  
The soldier laughed. "You can't blame me for trying, Rolento."  
  
Rolento frowned. "Don't play games with me. I know Interpol scum like you. Don't you have enough problems with Shadaloo creeping up to prevent me from realizing my utopia?"  
  
The soldier scowled. "You mean dictatorship."  
  
"People are happiest when they don't have to worry. People don't worry when they trust their leader."   
  
"People don't make choices when they fear their leader."  
  
Rolento gripped his stick tightly, but soon let it go. "It doesn't matter. We'll bargain you away for some of our soldiers that were caught, or we'll just kill you." He turned his back and began to walk out. "Either way, there's nothing you can do."  
  
He walked out the room with an air of confidence before another of his soldiers approached him. "Sir, we have a situation."  
  
He snapped back at the soldier. "What is it?"  
  
"Two of our patrols have disappeared, they aren't responding over the radio. We have lost contact with all the patrols we sent out."  
  
Rolento frowned. "That's odd. Any idea what's causing it?"  
  
"No, there isn't anything in the jungle that could take out all of our soldiers like that."  
  
Rolento bowed his head. "Nothing that we know of right now. Maybe there is more out there then we originally anticipated. Or perhaps Interpol has set up snipers. Set our soldiers on alert. No one is to leave the base. We'll make whatever is out there come to us."  
  
He looked at the structure from the trees. It was a small structure, almost completely under the treetops. He hadn't seen anything like it before. It was a large structure.  
  
"Aoohw waah-ooh graah-waah. Ooh-aahahh graawahh?" (This wasn't here the last time I was here. What strange thing is this?") He approached the structure with caution.   
  
It wasn't like any cave he had seen. He couldn't see any entrance into the structure. It was a strange color, one he hadn't seen before. It was a bleak, boring color. It didn't blend in with the trees at all. There weren't any of those other creatures in sight. He grew satisfied that the structure wasn't dangerous. He dropped to the jungle floor and approached the structure. He put his hand on the wall. It was a rough surface. There was no way he could find to enter. He moved his hand along the wall, eventually finding a line along the wall. The line outlined a small rectangle. He could hear echoes when he touched the door. He clinched his arm into a fist and slammed it against the rectangle. The punch dented the rectangle, but it still stood. He could hear sounds coming from inside. He repeatedly slammed his fist into the rectangle. Eventually, the object fell.   
  
Several of the creatures were inside. One of them yelled in something he couldn't understand. "What the hell is that thing?"  
  
Another one yelled back. "Who cares? Just shoot it."  
  
He recognized the things they held, and dove out of the way to avoid the shots. He picked up the heavy steel door and hurled it at the soldiers. He flung himself behind the door as it crashed into the soldiers. An alarm blared in the base as red lights blinked on and off. He searched around franticly, but couldn't find what was causing the noise. He charged through the building, but couldn't escape the noise. Several more of the creatures tried to attack him, but he managed to dodge them before he could be hit. He lost track of where he was. Every area looked the same, making it impossible for him to navigate. He began to punch every door he saw. Some led to closets and some to offices. No where that he could escape. He slammed his shoulder into another door as he ran down the hall. There was a creature sitting down when he entered.  
  
The creature stood up and looked him over. "What the hell?"   
  
He looked at the creature before he ran out. More soldiers jumped in front of him. He rammed them over. After about an hour of running through the base, he finally found the exit. He ran through and back into the jungle.  
  
"Ooohwahwah graahkawwkaww grah-ahh?" (What sort of beasts were those?) He wondered it for many days after. The creatures were covered with fur like monkeys, but were larger, and stood upright. He couldn't help but notice a vague similarity to them. Perhaps it wasn't a coincidence that nothing else looked like him. Perhaps he had some connection to the creatures. 


End file.
